


THE VOW

by Jacqueline_64



Series: ROLLER COASTER [2]
Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Chaos, Episode Related, Episode: s04e22 Sweet Revenge, Friendship, Gen, Missing Scenes, Not Beta Read, Shock, Trauma, assassination attempt, hopelessness, life threatening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23874271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jacqueline_64/pseuds/Jacqueline_64
Summary: A look into Dobey and Huggy's perspective in the chaos right after the assassination attempt by Gunther's goons on Starsky.
Series: ROLLER COASTER [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728343
Kudos: 7





	THE VOW

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Although not a part of my post Sweet Revenge series or Gunther Sessions series, I do use those series as point of reference for this story, by which I mean that any literary liberties (such as the explanation why Starsky is 32 in 1979 – see notes on The Journey; the length of the surgery on Starsky, the length of his coma – see The Post Gunther Sessions); the vow Hutch had made to his partner (in case of life threatening injuries – see Welcome Home) are the same as in the stories in those 2 series. I got the idea for this story from watching Sweet Revenge in detail recently, focusing on Dobey and Huggy.  
> 2\. The medical equipment to which Starsky was hooked up in Sweet Revenge in the first scene after the shooting was laughable. Many fans with a medical background have mentioned this through the decades. So, for all my SR related stories and series, I’d like all readers to imagine a far more realistic set-up of (life saving/sustaining) equipment and machines that Starsky is hooked up to, like a ventilator, more IV’s and monitors. Also, imagine a far more realistic appearance of the area of his body that was injured: tubes, drains, bandages, tapes, incisions/stitches all that was missing from SR’s hospital scenes.  
> 3\. I always thought the nameless doctor who treated Starsky on Sweet Revenge came across as very kind, so in my imagination he became the Dr Jamison in my SR related stories and series.  
> 4\. In the episode Sweet Revenge during Starsky’s cardiac arrest, the clock behind Dobey and Huggy in the hallway shows the time as a few minutes before 12 o’clock (noon, I presume), while the hands on the doctor’s watch show 11:40 AM. I did not check if there were any clocks shown in the episode before I wrote my earlier SR related stories and series, so in my Post Gunther Sessions series, I have the time for Starsky’s cardiac arrest at 3:21 PM and have the resuscitation efforts last for 14 minutes. Therefore, in this story, I will stick to the literary liberty I took in that series, so 3:21 PM is the time of Starsky’s cardiac arrest; ignoring the out of sync clocks in the episode.

# **ROLLER COASTER**

The most used disclaimer:  
The TV show "Starsky and Hutch", and the characters from it  
are the property of the persons who hold the copyrights  
and other legal rights to them.  
This story is a work of fiction, written for pleasure only  
and not for profit. It is not intended, in any way,  
to infringe on these preexisting copyrights.

## THE VOW 

Jacqueline©2020-04-27

**May 16, 1979 - 8:30 AM**

Huggy and Captain Dobey took in the scene in ICU station 1 with heavy hearts. Hutch was sitting in a chair by Starsky’s bedside, but was barely able to see his severely injured partner, as his view was mostly obstructed by the myriad of IVs and life support equipment.

Dobey couldn’t handle the sight anymore, especially not since Dr Jamison had hinted at the very real possibility that Starsky might still die, despite the surgery that had lasted more than 9 hours. He glanced sideways at Huggy. There was a reason why he had summoned his best team’s favorite informant to the hospital. He needed to move fast, for time was running out for Starsky.

“Huggy……. Why don’t we – leave them alone for now ….. Let’s find a place to sit down. I need to talk to you,” Dobey started.

Huggy could barely tear his eyes away from the sad scene before him, but when he did, he could see that something weighed heavily on Dobey’s mind. So he nodded and quietly followed the large man to the ICU’s family room.

Dobey sat down in a chair while Huggy chose a spot on the couch nearby.

“Huggy ….. Look, there’s no easy way to say this, but……. That doctor I just spoke to? Well, he….. he says ……. the odds are against Starsky. He told me that his relatives should be notified as soon as possible……”

Huggy’s heart skipped a beat as tears welled up in his eyes. His voice refused duty so, again, he just nodded his head.

Dobey continued,  
“The problem is that I think the boys have made some kind of pact, between the two of them. I don’t know what exactly they’ve agreed upon but I know for a fact that Starsky’s mother has not been notified yet, and he was shot about 19 hours ago. That Dr Jamison hinted that Starsky may not have much more time left……. Huggy, his mother must be told!”

Again, Huggy silently nodded his head.

“Now you’ve noticed that Hutch is in shock …. Who can blame him? He’s not thinking rationally now. **I** can’t get through to him, so the reason I called you was to ask you…. implore you, to make him understand that Starsky’s mother must be told ….. Can you do that, Huggy?”

A silent tear ran down Huggy’s cheek, as he whispered,  
“Yes, Captain …. At least I’ll try.”

He stood up and walked toward the doorway, turned and asked Dobey  
“Do you think …… do you think the Dr is right, Captain? That Starsky’s going to ….”

Dobey let out a deep sigh and looked at the floor before answering  
“The Lord’s will be done, Huggy. I’m going to continue my prayers to ask Him to save Starsky. That’s all we can do from here …..”

The two men looked at each other for a moment, before Huggy walked back to ICU station 1.

**May 16, 1979 - 8:45 AM**

Huggy had stood outside ICU station 1 patiently, until Hutch was asked to leave the room. Like a zombie, he stepped into the hallway, only to take his place on the chair in front of the window again.

But this time, the blinds in the room were shut, so spectators could not see what the medical personnel was doing inside. Still, Hutch remained seated, now literally looking at the closed blinds.

Huggy opened the conversation with a heavy heart  
“Hutch, why don’t we let them do their job ….. why don’t we just take a step back …. for a little while ….”

Huggy did not like the empty gaze Hutch’s eyes shot at him, but he had a mission. He gently pulled Hutch away from the window by his elbow, and the two men walked the hallway until Huggy found a quiet kitchenette type room.

“Look, Hutch,” he began.

But Hutch interrupted him with a hoarse voice  
“Thank you, Huggy, for being here ….. I’m sure Starsk would …. Would love that ….”  
  
There was a break in Hutch’ voice, that didn’t make Huggy’s task easier, but he knew time was running out, so he took a deep breath and, in a soft tone, began speaking to his devastated friend.

“Hutch, I hate to bring this up, but ….. that doctor just now? He ……”

“I know Starsky’s dying, Hug…….. Don’t you think I know that?” Hutch softly interrupted, his pale face now wore the saddest smile possible as his tearful eyes looked straight into Huggy’s. He shook his head slowly, before looking down,  
“What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do, Hug? He’s dying ….. I witnessed his eyes roll back …… I’ve seen that before, many times ….. maybe too many times …… and every time I saw that, the person died ……. Starsky’s gonna die …… He’s gonna die…..” Hutch ended his lament with closed eyes.

With wavering voice, Huggy now pushed through his own heartbreak, to urge Hutch to do the right thing,  
“Hutch, we ….. we don’t know that ….. but, but either way … Hutch, listen, ….. either way, his mother should be told …. Mrs. Starsky must be told …. She deserves the chance to ……. She has the right to see him before he ….. should he …… she has the right to say goodbye …..”

Hutch opened his eyes again, causing one tear to fall on his cheek. He looked at Huggy for a long moment, before nodding his head  
“I know ….. I know….”  
He gasped,  
“You know ……. Starsky ……” Hutch inhaled deeply before continuing,  
“Starsk made me promise to not let his mom at his bedside should he …… should he end up like some ….” Hutch let out a sad chuckle,  
“Like some, as he called it ‘freaking vegetable’ …..” Hutch laughed, a bit louder now, but the sound of his laughter was strange, almost metallic.  
“Oh, God, Starsk ….”.

Huggy did not miss a beat,  
“You won’t break your promise to Starsky by calling her and at least letting her know that he’s been injured, right? She’s in New York, so ….. even if she’d decide right after your call to fly over here, that still buys us time ….. time during which Starsky can ….. can improve …. Maybe wake up?”

“Maybe die, while she is in mid air …..” Hutch added, morosely.

“Oh come on, man…. We gotta keep our hopes up! We can’t let him down, Hutch! He can feel it if you don’t believe he can still make it! Come on, now ….. Please, Hutch …. Please, let his mother know he’s been shot …. She’s his mother!”

Hutch looked at Huggy before pulling him in a tight hug. Then he kept Huggy at arm’s length, nodded, and said  
“I’d better get it over with…… Thanks, Hug. You’re a friend.”

“Of course, man. I’ll talk to you later.” Huggy answered and looked on as Hutch walked over to the nurses stations to make one of the hardest calls of his life.

Huggy, meanwhile, returned to the ICU family room, where Dobey looked up at him with questioning eyes. He nodded his head before sitting down opposite Dobey, to let him know he had accomplished his mission.

**May 16, 1979 - 9:25 AM**

“Hi Edith, me again.”

“Have you got any news, Harold? How is Dave?”

A deep sigh, before Dobey answered his wife,  
“I guess, so far, so good. But it’s probably an illusion. The doctor told me in so many words that the deck is stacked against him. As I understood it, it’s not a question of if, but more of when …..”

“Oh, my ….. did you call his mother yet?”

“Huggy ….. Did I tell you I got Huggy down here? Well, after our call this morning, I figured my best chances on getting through to Hutch were to get Huggy involved. The three of them are tight ….. they get each other. Anyway, Huggy managed to get through to him, got him to change his mind about the pact and call Dave’s mother. I haven’t seen him yet, so he may still be on the phone to her …..”

“Well, at least that is something …. That poor woman. Be sure to let her know she can always stay at our place once she gets here, won’t you, Harold?”

Dobey grunted into the receiver.

“Harold, when will you get home? Mother would like to see you, too, before she returns home…”

“I don’t know yet, honey. We don’t know how much time Dave has …. I mean, Hutch may be on the phone to her now, but that’s no guarantee his mother will make it here in time should he ….. We lost so much precious time due to that damned pact ….. I don’t want the boy to be alone when he ….. he shouldn’t be alone ….. **You** understand, right, Edith?”

“Of course, “ Edith softly replied.

“Well, I’ve got to take care of some things here, Edith, I’ll call back later and uhm…… hug the kids for me.”

Dobey hung up the phone and returned to the family room, just when Huggy was ushered out by a nurse.  
“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Some major traffic pile up with critically injured people, Captain. The nurse says the relatives will be coming here, soon.”

“And what are we? Chopped liver?” Dobey couldn’t hide the irritation in his voice. He looked around before walking up to the nurses’ station.

“Excuse me, is there another waiting area for us? Dobey, from Metro. You know me by now, I’ve been here most of yesterday and the entire night! One of my men is in critical condition in ICU room 1.”

The nurse behind the desk had just started her shift and had to look at her notes before she could reply.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Dobey, I don’t see any specific notes regarding the patient in ICU 1,” she answered, somewhat nervously.

“His name is Detective Starsky, David Starsky …… he’s been treated by doctor uh James …. No, Jamison.”

“Dr Jamison is in the doctor’s mess right now – he is resting in between shifts and cannot be disturbed.”

“When is he back on duty?” Dobey barked, then noticed the desk nurse seemed to be intimidated by his demeanor, so he softened his tone for the next question,  
“Never mind. Can you show us a place where we can sit without being disturbed?”

The nurse pointed towards the end of the hallway, near the elevators. There Dobey and Huggy found 2 chairs, around the corner, where they sat down next to each other in silence.

Dobey sighed. He felt absolutely powerless and the short nap he’d taken earlier had not been long enough to give him a full reload of energy.  
“Huggy, thank you for persuading Hutch to make the call. Have you talked to him since?”

“No, Captain. I haven’t seen him since we had our talk ….. He may still be on the phone with her …” Huggy took a glance at the heavyset man next to him. Dobey looked tired and deeply concerned. He knew the Captain went a long way back with both detectives, but especially with Starsky, whose field training officer he had been, when Starsky was fresh out of the Academy.

“Captain, it’s way past breakfast time. Can I get you something to eat from the cafeteria?”

“Oh, I can’t think about eating anything now, Huggy. But thank you.”

“Then at least let me get you some coffee, okay? Black? Sugar and cream?”

“Just black, Huggy. Thank you.”

Huggy got up, looked one more time at the doleful Captain and took the elevator to the cafeteria.

**May 16, 1979 – 09:40 AM**

For the second time in 24 hours, Dobey found himself running towards loud noises and commotion, only this time in the hospital.

As he approached, he noticed Hutch flat on his back on the floor near Starsky’s ICU room and a number of medical as well as police personnel.

Hutch was helped up by some of the medical staff and immediately wanted to enter Starsky’s room, but Dobey caught him by his sleeve.

“What the heck was that all about? I thought you were washing up?”

“They just tried it again, Captain!” Hutch exclaimed.

“Who’s they? Tried what?!”

“Finish off Starsky ….. “

“What? How? When?”

“Just now!!! I went to the men’s room to wash up and there’s a dead guy ….” Hutch abruptly turned towards one of his uniformed collegues  
“Hanson, get to the men’s room at the end of the hallway, near the elevators. Secure it. There’s a dead medic in there, hurry up!”

“What the hell are you talking about, Hutchinson?!” Dobey’s adrenaline level was rising by the second.

“Captain, whomever tried to kill Starsky in the parking lot at Metro yesterday, wants to finish the job so badly, they got into the hospital, **this** hospital, and gave it another try, minutes ago. The guy killed the medic, put on his white jacket and was already here, just feet away from Starsky!”

Dobey’s mind was racing. This was not going to happen, not on his watch.

“Hutch, you start the investigation in the men’s room. Order everything you need, men and equipment, tell them I’m okay with that. I’ve got to secure something else.” Dobey said as he walked in the direction of the nurses’ station.

“Captain, what are you….” Hutch called after his superior.

“I’m gonna call in for extra facilities. You do what I told you to do!”

**May 16, 1979 – 09:43 AM**

“Decker, Captain Dobey here. I need to speak to chief Ryan, immediately.”

“Sir, chief Ryan just entered a meeting with the mayor and can’t be disturbed.”

“Decker, you have my permission to break into the meeting. This is a red alert situation and the mayor can listen in as well. Get to it!”

Dobey waited for what seemed forever, but in reality was only a minute. Chief Ryan’s voice sounded sharp and highly annoyed,  
“Harold, you’d better have a good reason to interrupt a meeting with the mayor!”

“Chief, those responsible for nearly killing Starsky yesterday, just tried to finish their job here, at Memorial! We have a murdered staff member of Memorial here. I need more security for Starsky and for the entire hospital and I want it now! I also want to set up a post here, so I need the mayor’s clearance to do so.”

“What ….. why a post at the hospital?” Ryan sounded less annoyed, more inquisitorial now.

“Starsky is dying, chief. His relatives have to fly in from the East Coast. I don’t …..”

“Wait a moment, Harold, I’ll put you on speaker. Can you repeat that for the mayor?”

“Starsky is dying, chief. His relatives have to fly in from the East Coast. The station is a mess with all the renovating going on. I can’t let one of my best men die alone, should it come to that before his family arrives. If and when he goes, he should at least be allowed to pass in peace and not under attack.”

“Is that the same detective who worked on the Clayburn case?” Dobey could hear the mayor asking.

“Yes, sir, you re-instated both Detectives Starsky and Hutchinson, recently,” Ryan replied to the mayor.

“And now he’s dead?”

“No, sir, not if I can help it. Please, sir, chief, please affirm my requests. This is a code red situation, chief Ryan!” Dobey implored.

He could hear a whispered discussion between his superior and the mayor and then Ryan came back on,  
“You can have everything you want and need down at Memorial, Harold. And you can reach me at any time. We’ll keep detective Starsky in our thoughts.” And he returned Dobey’s call to the main desk where Dobey immediately listed all he needed for a make-shift post at Memorial.

**May 16, 1979 – 12:29 PM**

After the second assassination attempt on Starsky’s life, Dobey was running not just on black coffee, but on pure adrenaline.

Hutch had reluctantly taken the lead in the preliminary investigation of the murdered resident in the men’s room. Since he was the first witness, he was the obvious choice for the job, or would have been under normal circumstances. But in the past 24 hours, almost nothing had been normal. Hutch’s stress level was rising to dangerous levels, something Dobey noticed from a distance as he himself was right in the middle of organizing the make-shift post in a room the hospital staff cleared for him.

Amidst the commotion it had come to a clash between Dobey and Hutch. Both men were so emotionally involved in the drama, each with their own ties to and history with Starsky. And both were already overwhelmed by fatigue and stress that they ended up in a shouting match about whether or not Hutch should go on a search for those responsible for the assassination attempt on the curly haired detective. Dobey wished he could turn back the hands of time, after he, out of concern for Hutch’ safety, had suggested he’d find him a partner to join him on his quest. Hutch had let him know in no uncertain terms, that he already had a partner and did not need another one, before leaving the chaotic scene in the soon to be opened make-shift post at Memorial. Dobey had sent Huggy after Hutch, to try and calm the distraught detective down. Meanwhile he had things to do.

“All the cables and phones are connected, Captain,” Williams from the BCPD Technical Services told Dobey. He’d been working with some of the hospital’s tech employees to install the equipment needed for communications between this new post and Metro head quarters.

“Great work, Ted,” Dobey told Williams, while giving him a pat on the back,  
“I greatly appreciate your quick work. Is there a private line, too?”

“Yes, sir, that’ll be this number. You’ll have to press zero first to get an outside line, though,” Williams explained.

“Fantastic, good job, good job,” Dobey answered, before turning his attention to the other officers who’d been assigned to duties at the hospital.

“Now all of you, listen up,” Dobey began,  
“You all know that detective Starsky barely survived yesterday’s assassination attempt down at Metro. His condition is still life threatening …. In other words: we might still lose him. That young man, that cop, one of our own, is lying in that bed fighting for his life after it took a team of about a dozen medical personnel over 9 hours to put him back together again as best they could. So we can’t afford any more attempts like the one this morning, to still take his life, even here, in a house of healing …. A hospital, for crying out loud!” Dobey’s voice had gotten louder and filled with indignation as he’d progressed.

“Detective Starsky is one of the best men ever to have served our station, and I’ll be damned to let his efforts to fight crime come to an end like this! I want 100% dedication from all of you here, in and around the hospital, by his room, by the entrances and any other spots that may somehow give somebody with bad intentions the opportunity to finish what they failed to achieve yesterday. Sergeant Joist will coordinate with the head of security of Memorial, and he will let you know where you all will be positioned, alright? Don’t disappoint me; don’t let detective Starsky down. That will be all.”

Huggy had watched Dobey as he took command of his men and for the first time that he’d known him, was in awe of Dobey’s no nonsense approach. He’d returned from the hospital’s garage about ten minutes ago after sharing the elevator there with a despondent Hutch, and had quietly observed how bit by bit, structure arose from the chaos.

“Did you manage to calm him down?” Dobey asked Huggy.

“I think so …...,” Huggy answered,  
“Captain, you’ve got to understand he’s not himself right now….” Huggy pleaded with Dobey.

Dobey sighed,  
“At this point and time …. who **is**?”

Then the radio transmitter crackled and Hutch’s voice came through.

Dobey picked up the microphone,  
“Hutchinson, where are you? What’s going on?”

“Look, just get me a patrol car and an ambulance on the uh…. Uh third level of the County Hospital garage….” Hutch sounded agitated.

“That’s right here!” Dobey responded.

“No kidding,” Hutch replied sarcastically.

“What?!”

“Brown …. Brown… Jenny Brown. I want you to take her name and run it through the computer and I want the results immediately,” Hutch continued.

Huggy stepped in and took the microphone from Dobey,  
“Hutch, this is Huggy. Did you say Jenny Brown?”

“Jenny Brown, right, what’s it to ya?” Hutch replied, his manner of speaking almost emulating his dying partner’s.

“Well, it’s gotta be her, then,” Huggy said.

“Who?”

“Well, she’s the Muhammad Ali of the modeling world. She’s been on the cover of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, you name it,” Huggy told Hutch.

“I just did,” Hutch replied before ending the connection.

Huggy and Dobey exchanged looks, before Dobey picked up the microphone and called dispatch to send a crime scene unit to the hospital’s garage.

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this series was inspired by a song by Dutch singer Danny Vera (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWe4e0_UmIc), see the lyrics below:
> 
> ROLLER COASTER  
> Danny Vera
> 
> Here we go  
> On this roller coaster life we know  
> With those crazy highs and real deep lows  
> I really don't know why  
> And I will go  
> To the farthest place on earth I know  
> I can travel all the road, you see  
> 'Cause I know you're there with me
> 
> You don't have to slow me down  
> 'Cause I will always be around  
> I will find my way back home  
> Where magnolia grows, where magnolia grows
> 
> But I guess you know  
> Why I do what I do and where I go  
> I try to fill that empty space inside  
> But I can't do that without you  
> You're even with me in my dreams  
> I see a sail, the seven seas  
> I will try to find my way  
> You're always there tomorrow, you're always there tomorrow
> 
> Here we go  
> On this roller coaster life we know  
> With those crazy highs and real deep lows  
> I really don't know why  
> And I will go  
> To the farthest place on earth I know  
> I can travel all the road, you see  
> 'Cause I know you're there with me  
> You don't have to slow me down  
> 'Cause I will always be around  
> I will find my way back home  
> Where magnolia grows, where magnolia grows
> 
> Here we go  
> On this roller coaster life we know  
> With those crazy highs and real deep lows  
> I really don't know why  
> And I will go  
> To the farthest place on earth I know  
> I can travel all the road, you see  
> 'Cause I know you're there with me
> 
> Here we go  
> On this roller coaster life we know  
> I can travel all the road, you see  
> 'Cause I know you're there with me  
> 'Cause I know, oh I know  
> You're there with me
> 
> Songwriters: Danny Polfliet / John J H Verhoeven


End file.
